Perks said he can see that a lot of work remains to be done, but he said he looks at the long-term picture.

"It's been let go for 10 years, it'll take them a while to build it back," said Perks, who said he's been coming to the track for 50 years.

Gillian Greenfield, 21, of Toms Brooks, Va., said the track's reopening means work for her. She works with a trainer who works with the horses.

She's spent years around horses and answered a newspaper ad to get into the business.

"It's a different world than any other horse sport," she said. "But it's great."

Greenfield said she thought renovation work at the track would be further along.

"But they've really rushed to get this open. People come for the horses, not the beauty inside," Greenfield said. "Everyone's pretty excited about how many showed up today and it's only a Wednesday."

Race fan David Herrell, 43, of Stephens City, said he took the day off from buying and selling antiques to visit the track.

"I haven't seen where much has changed, to tell the truth. It's just nice to have something to do on a Wednesday afternoon," Herrell said. "It's nice to come out and enjoy the sunshine and watch the horses run."

Herrell said he's been watching the races at Charles Town for years.

"It's a pretty track. I hope they fix it up. It's as nice as any Maryland track," Herrell said.